What’s New with Accessoire Jewelry

It has been some time since I offered an update about my shop, life, creative endeavors.  So if you don’t mind… I think it is about time.

First, I have been slowly recovering from my accident on ice in December.  My back is still painful and I have a wonderful thing called the H-Wave that is helping with the pain.  I do not take any pain meds. so this is a great alternative.  I am in Physical Therapy and attend three times a week.  My brain seemed to take quite beating when I whacked it three times on the ice that day in December.  I now have Post Concussive Syndrome which has resulted in some pretty irritating brain injury symptoms.  I go to Cognitive Therapy twice weekly.

Just writing this blog post is hard at times, but it is good for my brain but if you notice more typos and not the best sentence structure, well at least I have an excuse now!!!!!

In my Etsy shop things have been slow to get underway, but I remember way back when I had my first shop on Etsy, that it took me over a year to really get going and gain repeat customers and find a rhythm to my sales.  I am patient and realize that there are so many talented and beautiful jewelry artists to pick from that even I would have a hard time choosing which ones to buy from, in fact I am always hearting pieces that I want to buy from other people.  Kinda like when you cook for yourself and sometimes you just don’t want to eat your own cooking.  Afterall, it is nice to go out to someone else’s house to eat or to a nice restaurant.  Plus, I love to support my fellow artists and dig wearing their jewelry.

My other pursuit is metalsmithing, I don’t have much to update on this matter.  Except I am collecting tools, books, etc.  I really want to attend classes, but my injuries have left me unable to follow that goal at this time.  I need to concentrate on getting better first!

I have been writing articles on ©Medium.com and have a Collection, Can I Just Get My Damn Story Read!  The collection has my articles, but also stories submitted to me for inclusion in my collection. View at Medium.com  Follow the link to read my articles and some of the great stories on ©Medium and in the Collections.

Here are my newest jewelry designs! I love all types of jewelry from modern, boho chic, hippie, gypsy, southwestern, plain and simple and sweet.

Making my jewelry is my therapy because I just play some music and begin to design and make and before long I am lost in the piece and my thoughts.

It has been a cold winter and long recovery.  But the sun is shining, I pray I get better each day.  I love making my jewelry and seeking refuge there in my thoughts.

Creativity is my hiding place and the place I go to find myself again.

I wish you all much peace and creativity this week!

Ⓒⓗⓔⓡⓘⓔ ✌

 

 

 

The New Things I’m Exploring!! Graphics and Bunnies

I am so excited  to show you a few things that I have been designing and it has nothing to do with jewelry.  I have always loved writing, but I have never really called myself a writer.  I used to write research reports in my younger years and before my creative life took over.  But research and writing the accompanying reports are much different from creative writing and the stories I write every so often on Medium.com.  You can find them here:  https://medium.com/@lotsofjewels.

Anyway, I have always loved graphic design so I am now playing around with some easy stuff.  I am in no way saying that I am even close to the true graphic design professionals.  But I am having fun during a difficult time in my life.  In December, I suffered a rather severe fall that resulted in a head injury, tears in my shoulder muscles and a back injury.  I  have been mostly confined to staying home because I can’t drive or work outside my home with my injuries.  My jewelry is a wonderful outlet, but I also love technology and learning new skills so I have been on Picmonkey (a free online photo editing site) playing around and here are a few of my very elementary designs!

First, here is my new graphic for my Shop Find of the Week.  I made it with the blank canvas option on Picmonkey and just had a great time picking and choosing which elements to add.  I used a few of the “sticker” shapes and changed the colors, then added some focal elements and text.

 

Please note:  All work shown here is the property of Cherie Klinger, Accessoire Blog, and Accessoire Jewelry.  Please do not reproduce without listing the following credit: Designed and Created by Cherie Klinger of Accessoire.

For the children’s book that I have been having fun with, I am using the static bunny and giraffe photos from Picmonkey’s options.  I have five pages completed and hope to complete an entire little book.  Then I guess I will read it to myself and give a copy to my nieces and nephews. Somehow I don’t think my 19 and 14-year-old want me reading a story to them entitled, Trixie and Dex.  The stars of the book are a little bunny named Trixie and a giraffe named Dex.

 

 

And below is page 3 to give you a sample of Trixie and Dex together.  If you know anything about my DO*CARE*ACT blog, then you can guess that I have to add a little life lessons about helping others, giving and the miracle of a caring heart!

 

 

Sorry about the disclaimer written above, but I feel that I have to add that since there are some people who do like to take things and use them without the proper permission or credit given.  I do not mind one using my photos, I only ask that the proper credit be given.   I do not use a watermark, so please do not copy these little graphics that I have created without attaching the proper credit.  Thank you very much!!   You may not think they are much, especially the graphic designers out there, but they are my little piece of graphic heaven and I am having fun.

We all have a well of creativity inside of us, just allow yourself to try to do something that will bring a smile to your face.  You deserve it!

Hope you all are staying busy and creative.

Much peace!

Ⓒⓗⓔⓡⓘⓔ ✌

 

COMING SOON —–>     HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN DESIGNS WITH :

Changing Designs, Finding Inspiration, Staying True!

My own design aesthetic feels like it is evolving, I have always loved leather and can remember when I was a teen buying hand tooled leather bracelets. I am always intrigued with new ways to design jewelry and the interesting materials used in design.

I am the type of person that thrives on redecorating, rearranging furniture, clothes, the color of my hair, nails, etc. (although I have slowed down on the hair color)… and my family can tell you about my obsession with lamps.  I know that just changing out the lamps in a room can make me feel that the room has a fresh feel.  I guess I get bored easily and need the change and that can show through in my designs.  I am never quite happy making the same thing over and over again, it feels too much like a production line.

One design that I do tend to make over and over is my Gingko Leaf earrings, although right now I do not have any in my Etsy store.  I have to get going on making some more.  They have always been a very popular design of mine.

**Here is one of my Gingko Leaf designs.**

 

Recently, I began to reevaluate my designs and ask myself “what designs do I like, what jewelry do I want to wear right now, and would I wear my own designs?” and in response I began to change my designs to reflect the answers that I found to my questions.

Here are a few of my new designs:

TierraCast® antiqued copper-plated “pewter” focal piece laced with the light brown leather. I have affixed the wood beads to the leather to keep them in the position you see them here. and then placed copper coil end caps and a copper lobster clasp. I made the chain extender so that you can adjust the size of your bracelet.

I used this patina verdigris filigree piece and bent and lightly sanded the finish to attain a soft color with copper showing through the finish. I then accented with a beautiful brown leather cord and copper elements.

I love the color of this round wood bead, I then added the small upcycled silver oval and made the ring base with sterling silver German square wire.

I love brown leather cord and added small wood, glass, and silver plate beads and tiny silver tubes with the silver plated long tube bead as the focal point with a small silver heart charm. I handcrafted the hook and eye clasp with sterling silver German square silver.

I am acting as my jewelry model!

I used this flat cable 16k gold necklace and added the adjustable chain that adjusts necklace from a 16 inch necklace to an 18 inch necklace. I then made the gold bar focal piece with gold metal cubes and black iridescent glass pieces.

My dainty flat sterling silver chain and handmade sterling silver circle and bronze wire pendant with metal heart charm.

I just keep moving forward with my designs, always amazed by the wonderful handmade artisans that I find and get to know.  I would love to hear how your designs have changed through the years and what new skills you may have added and used in your designs?

Much Peace and Creativity!

Ⓒⓗⓔⓡⓘⓔ ✌

My Favorite Color — Turquoise!

This is the definition according to Wikipedia…

Turquoise is the name of a bluish-green color, based on the gem of the same name. The word turquoise comes from the French for Turkish, as the gem was originally imported from Turkey.  The first recorded use of turquoise as a color name was in English in 1573.

Now with the history lesson behind us, my love of this color lead to me collecting turquoise jewelry in the Southwest style at early age.  I love the pairing of sterling silver and turquoise.  My choice is the more bluish turquoise as opposed to the green colored.

Via: thatbohemiangirl.tumblr.com

When I make jewelry I find that I tend to use turquoise and blue/green colors in many of my designs.  Although, I like other colors and try to add various color combinations to my designs I seem to always come back to the blues.  

Accessoire on ArtFire

Here is one of my recent bracelet/earrings sets where I used magnesite stone beads in turquoise blue and accented them with silver twisted rings and Czech fire polish rondelle beads that have a touch of red .  The question could be asked “why use magnesite instead of real turquoise?”  Cost is one reason especially if you are just getting started in the jewelry making business.  Or in my case, getting back into the business and replenishing my lost bead/gemstone stock.  Of course, in the future I will be buying some turquoise and creating some pieces with it.  Using more expensive items such as sterling silver vs. silver plate and turquoise vs. magnesite will affect prices and the audience I am hoping to reach.  

My next learning experience in my jewelry making career is to start taking classes in silversmithing.  I want to create my own pieces from the “ground up” and watch as they bloom in my hands into the designs I have envisioned in my head.  I love rings and hope to be able to make some beautiful rings for customers.

Finally, I simply thought I would write a  post with a lot of pretty photos for your viewing pleasure about the color that inspires me!  

Have fun creating and explore the world around you!

Cherie 

Related articles

• About Turquoise (montanasilversmiths.com)

Busy Making, Photographing, and Listing!

Wow, I have been out of the loop for quite a while.  I just started to build my inventory of handmade pieces again.   Geesh, I forgot how much work this all took… design the piece, gather all the supplies, make the piece (redo, redo, undo, redo… ok!! ;)),  photograph (like a million different angles), upload photos, crop photos for listing, and finally list the item in my online shop!  Phew, did I make you tired yet!

But, I do feel privileged to be able to bend my creative elbow again after such a long dry spell.  I really wasn’t sure I would make it back to my bench and start creating again, but here I am and loving every minute.

I have had ads to design and bid out to get some traffic to my shop, that has been fun and I actually like that side of the business.  My real love though will always be found in those quiet times (or maybe not so quiet when my music is blasting) and I am bent over my bench just lost in my beads n’ stuff.

Here are some of my latest pieces, hope you like!

I have already listed these in my new shop Accessoire on Art Fire.

Until next time… get creative!